Fluffy Haemonculus List

So this idea is based on a little story I messed around with awhile ago, about a Haemonculus' rise to power through his following in the Commorite underworld. He eventually finds sponsorship with the Bleaksoul brethren (they bond over humor and appreciation of condrichthyoid physiology). I really wanted to incorporate hellions and reavers around a heamy/grot team, and try to make it work. Not at all super competitive, but I would like it to be able to hold its own if handled well. If you're interested, here's the story http://www.thedarkcity.net/t3895-fluff-for-force-wip-story

[] - brackets will denote 1000
{} - squigglies will denote 1500

The Sarcophile Coven
HQ
{[115]} Haemonculus Ancient w/ Power Axe, Scissorhands, Liq. gun
{[105]} counts as Baron Sassypants

Elites
[210] 4 Grotesques w/ liq. gun, in raider
{250} 4 Grotestues w/ abberation, liq gun, flesh gauntlet, in raider w/ flickerfield, torment grenades

Troops
Accompanying Barry Sax
[159] 9 Hellions w/ Helliarch w/ stunclaw-useful enough? might just drop it for a venom blade
{335} 20 Hellions w/ Helliarch w/ stunclaw ^

[95] 3 Wracks in a Venom w/splinter cannon
{190} 10 Wracks in a Raider w/ flickerfield, torment grenades

Fast Attack

[156] 6 reavers w/ 2 heatlances
[156] 6 reavers w/ 2 heatlances
{254} 9 reavers w/ 3 heatlances, arena champion w/ power spear
{254} 9 reavers w/ 3 heatlances, arena champion w/ power spear

Totals - [996] {1498}

I have a strong suspicion that challenges kinda defeat the purpose of stunclaws in general, but they could be useful for just the ability to screw with unit cohesion and such.

I could also break the 20 man hellion squad into groups of 11 and 13 and toss a talos in instead of the wracks. Or two 16 man hellion squads and neither.  

The main idea is i guess I throw the raider with Haemonculus Ancient and grotesques at the scariest looking thing on the board, reavers as general mobile AT and secondary attack force, wracks as more cleanup/spot treatment, hellions running interference, thinning units and tarpitting, everybody sticking to cover unless they're in combat.

Im confused a bit. You can only use one weapon or the other in melee. Why both the Scissorhand and the Power Axe? True you get the extra attack (Its not unwieldy i dont think) and you have choices. But you're REALLY paying for those choices. Do you feel it will be worth it, given his bodyguard? I would take the Scissorhand and give it to the Abberation in your Grotesque unit for sure.

I love the Stunclaw. It's just too nefarious and fun. How many times do you wish you could just take the dang Priest out of a Sisters of Battle unit and steal half their special rules? Or gank the Stubborn Commissar straight out of the unit of IG, stealing their blobs best asset?

Oh i KNOW you'd love doing it. =) You cannot waiver. You musn't waiver. You MUST do this.

Love the 4 troops. Love the ganger theme here. Very Shadow Runish. I'll admit the Grotesques are unusual but the Haemonculae has got to be doing something with his time right? Otherwise the gang wouldn't need him.

So I like the cut of your job here. I think a Webway portal would make this army even more fun, especially when you don't go first.

I hope I'm not the only one who was holding out for a tale about an experiment gone wrong where a haemonculus ends up growing a coat of fluffy fur...

I'd be tempted to make the two Hellion squads of sixteen that you mentioned as a possibility, that squad of nine won't be that threatening. Two squads of sixteen should be. And definitely keep the stunclaws, they might not be competitive but they're a lot of fun when they work. Also you can pull somebody out of a squad with a hit and run that gets you miles away from the enemy or on the other side of cover, remain locked in combat so you don't get shot at next turn, kill the enemy character in their turn and get a free consolidation move. Not to be underestimated.

I'm inclined to agree with Unorthodoxy on the power axe, the best you can realistically hope for against the kind of squad that this unit should be going up against is that the Haemonculus and the other character in the challenge wipe each other out. Give the Aberration the Scissorhand, he'll be more likely to make use of it as he's better at tanking wounds and can hurt stuff with his high strength anyway. I'd be tempted to shave some points off the Ancient by downgrading him to a regular Haemonculus with just a liquifier gun. Then take another one. Boom, both grot squads have a Haemonculus with them, thus preventing their berserk rampage from kicking in, as well as giving them two pain tokens apiece. Nasty. It shouldn't be too hard to get at least one squad fearless, which will be an absolute nightmare for your opponent. That's just my thinking anyway, haemonculi really not being combat characters and it being a shame not to take advantage of the fact that you can take multiples of them.

Durf - I don't know how I missed that. Good call, I'll shuffle that scissorhand on down the line, then.

And you can consider me sold on the stunclaw. I like it a lot. I appreciate digging the feel - i plan to do some cosmetic conversions on the reaver riders and hellions to make them look all kitted out, as well as some character stuff for the Haemy.

I'm not sure I was super clear though, in that this is actually two separate lists - but I will still take the advice!